


all the minutes in the world can never take your place

by anisstaranise



Category: Glee
Genre: 1990s, Alternate Universe, Childhood Friends, M/M, Summer Camp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 13:56:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11922324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anisstaranise/pseuds/anisstaranise
Summary: The summer of 1998, the summer Blaine would always remember.





	all the minutes in the world can never take your place

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Seblaine Sundays](http://seblainesundays.tumblr.com/) : _Summer Love_
> 
> Title from Hanson's "A Minute Without You".

“Blaine.”

Nuzzling into his pillow, he squeezed his eyes tighter- hoping against hope that whoever was calling him would soon go away.

“Blaine!” the voice hissed, a little louder now. “Get up, it’s time!”

In a split second, he felt one side of his mattress being tipped over and he was fast rolling out of bed. He fell with a thud, his pillow barely cushioning his head against the floor.

“What the hell?” he grumbled, heart thundering in his chest and squinting through the darkness. “Sam?”

“We gotta go!” Sam half-yelled half whispered, banging impatiently on the wooden frame of the bunk bed.

The urgency in his best friend’s voice chased some of the sleep away while he struggled to get his bearings. There was a dizziness buzzing in his head from being jolted awake; he was lightheaded, disoriented.

Then, a silhouette of a hand appeared before him, offering to help him up. He peered up to find Sebastian standing over him, shadows streaming through the windows playing on his handsome face.

“Glad I beat you for the top bunk now, huh Blaine?” his friend teased.

Blushing slightly, he took Sebastian’s hand as his friend hauled him up, chuckling at a memory of their first meeting. He had been sure Sebastian cheated at the coin toss that day and had been in a foul mood throughout the next two days, convinced that his time at summer camp would suck. Top bunks were _his_ thing, the highlight of summer camp’s lodging- but he had never been gladder to lose a coin toss than he was at that moment.

Straightening up, some of his dizziness dissipated. He slowly recalled the reason why he was roused so rudely from his sleep; _the plan_.

It was the last night of summer camp and _the plan_ was to make every moment of it count- starting with sneaking out of their cabin at midnight.

He pressed the light feature on his G Shock watch, the time glowing blue back at him. 12:08.

“Let’s go,” Sam said sharply, creeping past their sleeping roommates, a cacophony of snores echoing in the cabin. They were unfazed by the sounds; eight boys lodging together for three whole weeks built your immunity against such a thing.

He followed Sam and Sebastian outside, the night sky gleaming blue alight with a summer’s glow. Days were long this time of year and he loved that it never really got dark at night. Up ahead, he saw another one of his cabin mates, Hunter, waiting for them with two girls he had grown close to since camp started; Marley and Quinn.

“’Bout time,” Hunter said as he started up the path headed to the camp’s Main Hall- a building situated in the centre of the reserve where they had their daily assemblies and meal times. It was where the kitchen was; the first stop in _the plan_.

When they arrived at the kitchen entrance at the side of the building, the door was already propped open with a rock, the lock picked; some of the other kids must have had the same idea they did. He followed Hunter in and true enough, a group of three kids were already raiding the pantry.

“Jackpot!” he heard one of his camp mates say. “Chocolate Snack Packs! I knew the lunch lady was holding out on us!”

“Leave some for us, guys,” Sam chirped.

Soon they were all loading arms full of pudding as Sam nicked a whole box of Capri-Sonne. His adrenaline was through the roof, the exhilarating high of camaraderie and committing food theft coursing through his veins. He could have sworn this was one of his happiest memories in the making.

Just as he was about to head out, he saw Sebastian pocket two cans of Cherry Coke. Sebastian caught his gaze and winked- like they were sharing their own little secret. Heat rose to his cheeks, his stomach flipping giddily. It wasn’t the first time his entire being was reacting this way to Sebastian. It had been doing _that_ since that first week of camp after he had been paired with Sebastian for the First Aid course.

“You really don’t have to drown to have my lips on yours, Killer,” Sebastian had said teasingly- or was it flirtatiously? He couldn’t decide but soon after he had started thinking- or more accurately, daydreaming- of Sebastian’s lips on his.

It had confused him initially. He had daydreamed of kissing before- like with that girl with the big brown eyes and the beautiful singing voice at church or with Anjali whose family had just migrated to his neighbourhood from India- but never with a _boy_. Was it... normal? Was he allowed to have such thoughts about a boy?

He had mulled these thoughts over and over as he tossed and turned in bed- but then in moments like this- how a wink from Sebastian could send his heart racing- he decided he didn’t care. It felt nice and happy... and right.

An owl hooted somewhere up in the trees, the wind rustling in the breeze as they trekked deeper into the woods along the banks of the lake. Ten minutes later, they came to a towering tree with thick branches snaking up and out like a multi-armed creature from Greek myths, its leaves luscious and heavy. A tire swing hung over the lake from the thickest branch; this was the final destination of _the plan_.

Hunter and Marley made quick work of discarding their clothes, their swim wear clad readily under it. There was a luminescent blush on Marley’s cheeks when Hunter linked their fingers together, walking hand in hand over the lake’s rickety, wooden pier. He smiled at the sight of them, the embodiment of summer love.

Discarding the snacks and drinks at the base of the tree, he overheard Sam doing an extremely impressive impression of Westley, quoting some romantic line or other from The Princess Bride. The giggle from Quinn indicated his success in charming her. Soon, they were tearing down the pier, hand in hand too, and jumping into the water after Hunter and Marley.

_The plan_ had been to have one last hurrah, one last night with the people he held dear; Sam had been his best friend since he could remember and it was at Sam’s behest that he finally decided to join the summer camp. Hunter and Sebastian had been the first friends he had made at camp, his lost coin toss with Sebastian had been the beginnings of befriending his grumpy-exterior-but-wonderfully-genteel best friend, Hunter. He had struck up a friendship with Marley and Quinn after seeing them read Smash Hits, giggling over Jonathan Taylor Thomas and trading posters of Take That and All Saints. He gladly took credit for introducing them to Sam and Hunter- unwittingly playing matchmaker.

“Race you to the swim raft?” came Sebastian’s voice from behind him.

He turned and blushed furiously when he came face to face with a shirtless Sebastian. This boy was so attractive it should be illegal, he thought.

“S-sure,” he stammered, shyly unzipping the hoodie that he had been sleeping in despite the balmy summer night and pulled his t-shirt over his head.

The water rippled as Sebastian dove in, the moonlight wriggling on the wavy waters. The wooden pier creaked under his weight as he shifted into a diving pose. Soon, he was swimming next to Sebastian, laughter pouring out of him with every stroke of his arm. It was another one of his happiest memories in the making.

His heart pounded joyously as they climbed the swim raft in tandem, neither caring to keep score of their race. They sat side by side, soaking in the sights and sounds of the night as the raft bobbed gently with the current.

After a moment, Sebastian pulled out the two cans of Cherry Coke from his swim pants and pressing one on his arm.

He chuckled as he took it from his friend, the can hissing as he pulled the tab open.

“Wow, swimming with coke cans in your pocket takes real commitment, Sebastian,” he teased, looking back at their friends in the distance- two pairs of heads protruding from the surface and wading languidly close- like a dance of courtship, of young lovers.

“Can’t fit a box of six pack in my pocket now, can I?” Sebastian said before taking a long gulp of his soda.

He gulped a mouthful of Cherry Coke, the soda fizzing and warm on his tongue. “You really aren’t one for sharing, are you?”

Sebastian threw him a glance and his teasing chuckle died down in his chest. His friend’s handsome face tilted sideways, his wet fringes hanging attractively over his eyes; he couldn’t help but swoon at the sight of Sebastian.

“I share,” Sebastian said, his tone not so much a protest but rather a declaration. “I share with you.”

Sebastian clinked their cans together before bringing it to his lips for another long sip. A warmth swirled and settled in his stomach at Sebastian’s declaration because he realized it was true, Sebastian _did_ share with him.

Sebastian shared with him a side of his earphone when he was listening to music on his fancy, new Discman- blaring Hanson’s _Mmmbop_ and singing at the top of their lungs on repeat (much to their friends’ chagrin).

Sebastian shared with him his secret stash of Twinkies and Ding Dongs late at night when neither of them could fall asleep, when his homesickness had twisted hot in his chest.

Sebastian shared with him his love of dancing and R&B music and would often release his inhibitions to break into dance and lip sync to _Motownphilly_.

Sebastian shared with him his anxiety of having to live with his mother in Paris and leave his father behind, disclosing the reason he was away at camp was so his parents could agree on a settlement of their divorce.

In all, Sebastian shared with him.

Tiny flecks of light darted over the surface of water by the banks; fireflies flitting in the moonlight. The familiar giddy flipping in his stomach returned, one invoked solely by Sebastian he realized. And just as the fireflies tended closer to the shine of the moon over the water, he tended closer to Sebastian- eyes dropping closed, heart banging in his chest, a want glowing bright as the moon within.

In all, Sebastian shared with him- and now he wanted to share something monumental with Sebastian. So he pushed his lips to Sebastian’s, tasting a similar want in Sebastian’s breath. The kiss was brief; exactly three presses of his lips on Sebastian’s- but it was lasting. He could still feel Sebastian on his skin after they had pulled apart, could still taste him; another one of his happiest memories in the making, one he felt could eclipse all the others.

Sebastian scooted closer to him, their skins touching, the droplets of water drying in the night air. He didn’t know what would happen beyond tonight- or even beyond this summer. Perhaps he would get a postcard or two from Paris. Perhaps they would stay in touch by writing letters or he could ask his father to let him use the computer to send emails. After tonight, it might seem like the end- but he didn’t think so. If anything, it felt like it was the beginning.

Growing up was daunting as it was and 12 going on 13 had been something that daunted him most- leaving childhood and leaping into the teenaged phase left him breathless with anxiety whenever the thought arose. Summer camp had been a means to escape, to be a kid a little while longer. Just a boy.

And three weeks with Sebastian had taught him a little more about himself, about who he was and what he liked. He now realized he could fit twenty-three Maltesers in his mouth at a time after being challenged by Sebastian. He now realized he liked listening to songs by Tevin Campbell and Shai after going through Sebastian’s CD collection- even if they weren’t the kind of pop music he was used to. He now realized that he had a fascination with both girls and boys- he had had crushes before, but never anything as profound as his crush on Sebastian.

As he turned his face up to the moon and revelling in Sebastian’s touch, he sent a silent prayer up to the ether for this night to never end, to just be in the now, being the boy greedy for more time with Sebastian- or more of Sebastian in general- but he knew it must, and it will, as all things went.

So, as the fireflies danced beneath the moonlight, he took comfort in the lasting feeling of Sebastian’s lips on his and all his happiest memories from the summer of ’98.

\---END

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.  
> Comments welcomed.


End file.
